(1) Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to an immunopotentiator comprising the B chain of ricin as an active ingredient, and more particularly to an immunopotentiator comprising the B chain of ricin as an active ingredient and being effective for prevention and/or treatment of various infectious diseases caused by microorganisms such as fungi or viruses.
(2) Description of the Prior Art:
The term "immunopotentiator" is used to indicate any substance or preparation of substances which exhibits a high degree of potentiation, as its own function, in a humoral or cellular immune response system. An immunopotentiator which, when injected together with an antigen, increases the immune response to the antigen is generally called an "immuno-adjuvant".
The Freund's complete adjuvant, aluminum hydroxide gel and the like have heretofore been used as such immuno-adjuvants. However, they are not applicable to men since they develop intensive inflammatory reactions at injected sites and thus induce swelling, necrosis and/or induration there. The Freund's complete adjuvant is made of killed Mycobacteria, a surfactant and a mineral oil. Thus, it is necessary for the development of its adjuvant activity to convert it together with an aqueous antigen solution or an antigen suspension into a w/o emulsion. Therefore, the Freund's complete adjuvant is accompanied by such drawbacks, that the aforementioned mixing and preparation work is complex and time-consuming and the resultant emulsion is viscous and thick and thus inconvenient for injection.